Self-extinguishing fire lighter



April-19, 1949. GAETANO 2,467,886

SELF-EXTINGUISHING FIRE LIGHTER Filed Dec 24, 1947 INVENTOR.

RALPH R. EAETANU ATTORNEY- Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SELF-EXTINGUISHING FIRE LIGHTER Ralph R. Gaetano, Woodmont, Conn,assignor to The American Windshield & Specialty (70., Milford, Conn acorporation of Connecticut Application. December 24, 1947; SerialNo.793,652

Claims. 01.. 158-10,

The present invention relatesv to a self-extinguishing fire lighter,particularly of the type comprising a pot for containing igniting;fluid, such as oil, and a torch having an igniting head for-med ofsuitable absorbent refractory mate.- rial, such as baked clay. With theusual; fire lighter of this type there is no provision for ex.-tinguishing the torch, with the result that it is usually blown out orsmothered outside; of the pot, which is not only a dangerous: procedure;but allows the smoke and, odor resulting from extinguishing the torch toescape into the room. A further objectionable feature of. the usual firelighter of this type is that no provision is made for storing the torchwhen not in use, except in the igniting. fluid within the pot. This.not: only saturates the absorbent torch head to an uncle:- sirableextent, but leads to its rapid deterioration.

It is an object of the present invention tov provide aself-extinguishing fire lighter whereby the torch may be quicklyextinguished within the closed pot, without contact. with the. ignitingfluid therein, and without allowing the escape of smoke or odors to theroom.. To this end it is proposed to provide a. fire lighter havinga.pot provided with a partition wall dividing it. into two compartments,one constituting an igniting fluid reservoir andv the other a storagespace for the torch when not in use. and a flame extinguishingenclosure, which in cooperation with the cover of the pot. provides aconfined space wherein the oxygen will he quickly exhausted, therebycausing the flame to be extinguished in a matter of seconds. It isfurther proposed to provide a partition wall so arranged that it willprovide a barrier to efiectually prevent the flame of the torch headfrom reaching the igniting fluid. It is also proposed to provide apartition wall arranged to cooperate with the wall; of the pot toprovide contracted entrances to both the fluid reservoir compartment andthe storage and flame extinguishing compartment, in the one casepreventing spilling of the fluid when the pot is being carried about andalso reducing the exposed area of the fluid so as to minimizeevaporation, and in the other case aiding in the extinguishing action asthe ignited torch head is engaged therein,

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and'theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings? Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a self-extinguishing,fire lighter, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line l-4- of Fig.1, the igniting fluid and torch being removed.

Similar reference: characters indicate corresponding. parts throughoutthe severalfigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the self-extinguishing fire lighter,according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention,comprises a pot l0 formed of cast iron or other suitable material andprovided with supporting legs H, the pot being preferably shaped so-thatit is bulged outwardly at its. intermediate: portion to provide acontracted upper neck portion l2.. At the upper open side of the potthere is provided a circular upstanding rim l3, upon which the.

cover l4 seats, the cover having on its underside a. positioning rib I5fitted; Within the. rim 13.. A handle. I6 is secured to the cover. Atopposite sides of the pot there are provided loop handles [1-41, looselyengaged by the ring ends 8--|8- oi the carrying bale l9; which normallyswings. down so. that it rests at the side of the, pot at one side, asshown: bythe dot-and-dash, lines in Fig. 3..

A. vertically disposed partition wall 29' is pro. vided within the pot,vbeing integrally formed, as by casting, with the interior surface; ofthe pot. This wall-v is centrally disposed so that, it divides the potinto two. compartments of identical form, so: that either one of: thecompartments constitutes; a. reservoir for the: igniting. fluid,- whilethe other compartment constitutes storage and extingxuish-ing: space forthe; torch head, the integral connection of the partition wall with thewall of the pot preventing any possibility of leakage of the fluid fromone compartment into the other. The upper edge of the partition wall ispreferably straight and is disposed in a plane substantially in linewith the contracted neck portion l2 of the pot, so that it forms withthis contracted neck portion a restricted entrance to both compartments.The upper edge of the wall is spaced downwardly from the edge of the rimI 3, so as to facilitate engagement and removal of the torch withrespect to either compartment.

The torch comprises a metal rod 2| having at its upper end a handle 22,and having at its lower end a head 23 formed of suitable porousabsorbent refractory material, such as baked clay. The head is removablyengaged upon the rod 2|, and for this purpose is provided with a centralpassage 24 through which the lower threaded end 25 of the rod isengaged, the head being secured in place by upper and lower nuts 26 and21 screwed upon the rod.

The cover It is provided with a notch 28 at its edge for receiving therod 2| of the torch with the shaft resting against the rim.

In operation the torch is normally stored within the storage andextinguishing compartment in one side of the pot, and igniting fluid 29is provided in the other compartment. In order to use the torch inkindling a fire, the cover is removed and the torch is disengaged fromthe storage compartment and dipped into the igniting fluid in the othercompartment, being thereupon lighted and employed in the usual manner inkindling the fire. In order to extinguish the torch the cover I4 israised, the head of the torch is engaged in the storage extinguishingcompartment, and the cover is replaced whereupon the oxygen within thepot is quickly exhausted and the torch is automatically extinguished.The contracted entrance to the storage compartment also aids inextinguishing the torch, as the flame in passing through this contractedentrance will accelerate the exhaustion of the oxygen within thecompartment. The torch is thereupon allowed to remain in the storagecompartment until it is desired to use it again. If it is desired,however, to allow the torch to absorb igniting fluid While it is stored,it may be transferred from the extinguishing compartment to the fluidcompartment and allowed to remain in the fluid until ready to be usedagain.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodimentof the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and Scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-extinguishing fire lighter comprising a receptacle pot havingan open upper end, a partition within said receptacle pot dividing itinto two compartments, one compartment constituting an igniting fluidreservoir and the other compartment constituting a torch storage andextinguishing compartment, a torch comprising a handle rod and a torchhead, said torch head being receivable by insertion in one or th otherof the said compartments, and a movable cover engaged with the openupper end of said receptacle pot to close both of said compartments.

2. A self-extinguishing fire lighter comprising a receptacle pot havingan open upper end, a partition with said receptacle pot dividing it intotwo compartments, one compartment constituting an igniting fluidreservoir and the other compartment constituting a torch storage andextinguishing compartment, a torch comprising a handle rod and a torchhead, said torch head being receivable by insertion in one or the otherof the said compartments, and a movable cover engaged with the openupper end of said receptacle pot to close both of said compartments,said cover having in its edge a notch which accommodates by receptionthe handle rod of said torch.

3. A self-extinguishing fire lighter comprising a receptacle pot havingan open upper end, a centrally disposed vertical partition within saidreceptacle pot dividing it into two identical compartments, onecompartment constituting an igniting fluid reservoir and the othercompartment constituting a torch storage and extinguishing compartment,a torch comprising a handle rod and a torch head, said torch head beingreceivable by insertion in one or the other of the said compartments,and a cover engaged with the upper end of said receptacle pot to closeboth of said compartments.

4. A self-extinguishing fire lighter comprising a receptacle pot havingan open upper end, the upper portion of said receptacle pot having acontracted neck, a partition within said receptacle pot dividing it intotwo compartments, one compartment constituting an igniting fluidreservoir and the other compartment constituting a torch storage andextinguishing compartment, a torch comprising a handle rod and a torchhead, said torch head being receivable by insertion in one or the otherof the said compartments, and a movable cover engaged with the upper endof said receptacle pot to close both of said compartments.

5. A self-extinguishing fire lighter comprising a receptacle pot havingan open upper end, a partition within said receptacle pot dividing itinto two compartments, and having its upper edge spaced below the upperend of said receptacle pot, one compartment constituting an ignitingfluid reservoir and the other compartment constituting a torch storageand extinguishing compartment, a torch comprising a handle rod and atorch head, said torch head being receivable by insertion in one or theother of the said compartments, and a movable cover engaged with theupper end of said receptacle pot to close both of said compartments.

RALPH R. GAETANO.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Beard Jan. 29, 1878Number

